Independent learners
Creatively creating independent learners
Creatively creating independent learners
Starter
• You will be working in groups of three
completing different task.
• Person 1 – go the library and research
Australia
• Person 2 – read the article and make
notes.
• Person 3 – use the article as basis to
start your planning of a presentation on
Australia.
Creatively creating independent learners
Context
• Independent learners are the last piece
of the puzzle
• We have created a dependency culture.
• Emphasis on product rather than process
of learning.
• Applies particularly to A Level but
consider applying the principles in KS3
and 4.
Creatively creating independent learners
What is independent learning?
Students taking increasing responsibility for:
• identifying their own ‘need-to-know’
• searching for relevant information and
gaining knowledge on their own
• learning on their own with minimum
supervision
• actively seeking ways to solve their own
problems and difficulties
• assessing their own learning to see if their
needs-to-know are met
Creatively creating independent learners
The advantages of creating
independent learners
•
•
•
•
•
Better utilizes class-contact time
Promotes active student learning
Caters for differential student needs
Helps students learn how to learn
Encourages students to take
responsibility for their own learning
• Prepares students for lifelong learning
Creatively creating independent learners
Promoting independent learning:
Is Not:
• simply
abandoning
‘lectures’ and
telling students to
learn on their own
• placing the
responsibility for
learning entirely
on the students
Is About:
• a different way of
helping students
learn
• facilitating and
supporting
students to learn
increasingly on
their own
What does effective independent
learning look like?
• Pupil teacher interaction is still essential
• Planning by pupils is still important, they need
clear deadlines and outcomes.
• The learning process is as important as the
content.
• Offer students choices, be flexible.
• Independent learning does not necessarily mean
individual work - pair/group work is just as
important.
• Variety
• Support and encouragement
Creatively creating independent learners
Creative ideas
• Thinkers keys
• Learning maps with a outline of the
activity.
• Structured note taking – give them sub
headings to make notes on.
• Give them lesson plan – get them to plan
a present a 20 minute lesson.
• Write a sheet on how to do a great
presentation or PowerPoint.
• Create your own wiki or website.
Teacher’s Toolkit
• Use your copy of the Teacher’s Toolkit to
identify one activity that you could use in
your lesson to encourage independent
learning.
• Plan/discuss how you would use one of
the ideas in your lesson with the person
next to you.
Creatively creating independent learners
Thank you for listening
Creatively creating independent learners
Creatively creating independent learners
Starter
• In the middle of your table is a image.
• By yourself, write as many questions as
you can think of when you see the image.
1minute
• Discuss and decide as a group, which
question you would most like answered.
1minute
• Write down ways in which you could find
the answers out to these questions as a
group. 2minutes
Creatively creating independent learners
CLOSE
Creatively creating independent learners
Making students feel ‘safe’
• Start small, introduce changes gradually
and progressively
• Clear instructions on tasks;
• What,
• How, and
• When
• Ensure availability of help
• Regular feedback on progress